Multiple conservation partners have joined forces to establish the River-Link Trail, a 10-mile stretch of protected freshwater and tidal streams, forests, shorelands, and trails connecting the Sheepscot and Damariscotta Rivers. By linking existing conservation holdings, this corridor will enhance the ecological value of established preserves and create a unique 20-mile hiking experience in Midcoast Maine. Read More
Land for Maine's Future Places
The Land for Maine’s Future program has conserved special places throughout the state that have exceptional natural or recreational value and should be permanently protected. LMF has played a vital role in the acquisition of more than 490,000 acres from willing sellers. These lands include more than 1,000 miles of shorefront and 158 miles of rail-trails, and habitat important for wildlife for breeding, wintering, and migration. LMF-protected lands also include entire islands as well as working forests and farms. NRCM continues to help lead efforts supporting the Land for Maine’s Future program to protect public access to Maine’s most beautiful and significant natural areas.
Round and Long Ponds
Knowing that Round Pond was a popular destination for fishermen seeking bass and brown trout, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (IF&W) began looking for a water access site on its shores more than a decade ago. Finally, in 2000, the State had an opportunity to acquire an attractive, wooded 17-acre parcel, bordering Read More
Robinson Woods Preserve
Expansive growth around Greater Portland has consumed many tracts of community open space that once offered valuable wildlife habitat and opportunities for walks and family outings. Thanks to the vision and generosity of the former landowner, Robinson Woods will remain a community resource that generations of local residents can enjoy. The property was offered to Read More
Sabattus Mountain
Two Land for Maine’s Future program grants enabled the state to purchase 177 acres on and around Sabattus Mountain in Center Lovell, protecting hiking access to Lovell’s highest peak. A one-mile trail leads up to the 1,253-foot summit, where immense cliffs mark the southwestern side–providing clear views out to the White Mountains and Kezar Lake Read More
Salmon Brook Lake Bog
At 1,857 acres, this expansive northern white cedar bog (extending out from Salmon Brook Lake) supports an array of northern plant species rare in Maine. It is home to the white water lily, pygmy water lily, marsh valerian, northern valerian, swamp pink, swamp honeysuckle, small round-leaf orchid, purple pyrola, Lapland buttercup, and showy lady’s slippers. Read More
Sandy Point Beach
Recognizing the need for greater shore access around Inner Penobscot Bay, the State had long sought a property that could provide area residents with a site for swimming, sunbathing, picnicking and windsurfing. A 100-acre property on Sandy Point in Stockton Springs offered all the attributes the State had been seeking–with more than a half-mile of Read More
Sawyer Mountain Highlands
The Sawyer Mountain Highlands rise more than 1,000 feet over the floodplains of the Saco, Ossipee, and Little Ossipee Rivers, supporting a diverse array of natural features. High ledges offer views out to Casco Bay and the White Mountains. For more than a decade, the Francis Small Heritage Trust (FSHT) has worked to conserve the natural Read More
Scarborough Beach
With a long expanse of white sand and views out to the rocky shores of Prouts Neck, Scarborough Beach is an attractive setting for swimming, walking, and picnicking. Surfers routinely ride its combers in and surf-casters ply the waters for striped bass and blue fish. In wintertime, local residents come to skate on Massacre Pond, Read More
Sebago Headwaters Preserve
With southern Maine’s landscape becoming more developed, the remaining large tracts of open space are an increasingly critical resource for wildlife and watershed protection. To conserve key lands in the Sebago Lake watershed Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) asked the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program to help fund creation of a 1,558-acre Sebago Headwaters Preserve around Read More
